Plenary One

Ahead of the Curve

Tuesday 18 November | 10:30am - 12:00pm

Overview

Kick off Congress with two powerful keynotes that set the tone for the days ahead. FAAA CEO Sarah Abood explores the state of the profession, spotlighting the leadership, adaptability and collaboration needed to grow advice into the future. Then, join Behavioural Scientist Milo Wilkinson for a mind-expanding session on how the brain really works in a fast-changing world — blending neuroscience and behavioural futurism to help you lead with insight, resilience and agility.

This session will be CPD accredited

Keynote 1 - Welcome

Sarah Abood
CEO FAAA

Sarah will review the current perspective of the profession, highlight challenges and disruptions and reinforce opportunities to grow the profession. ​

  • Be Proactive.  Act on new opportunities, make changes and remain curious.​
  • Leadership.  Set the standard, move towards self-regulation, attract the next generation, grow the profession.​
  • Adapt. Stay agile, embrace technology productivity, evolve and renew.​
  • Community. Increased collaboration, share insights, support and expand capabilities.

Keynote 2 - The Future Human: Decoding minds, behaviours and what comes next

Milo Wilkinson
Behavioural Scientist

In a world racing toward AI integration, digital-first identities, and neural enhancement, understanding the human brain is no longer just insightful—it’s imperative. 

This keynote fuses cutting-edge neuroscience with behavioural futurism to reveal how the primal brain drives modern decisions—and how that will shape the way we live, lead, and connect in the decade ahead.

Led by Behavioural Scientist Milo Wilkinson — whose work spans elite sports, high-security interrogations, and Fortune 100 boardrooms — this keynote pulls back the curtain on your subconscious mind, the 90% of cognition you never see, yet which shapes every decision you make. You’ll take part in a real-world psychological experiment, unlocking your mental agility and understanding the neuroscience behind resilience.

But this isn’t just a deep dive into you. It’s also a wake-up call about us — where society is going and why. From virtual sneakers and brain-computer interfaces to slow content and synthetic relationships, Milo dissects the case studies and cultural shifts that matter, revealing what’s really happening beneath the surface of consumer behaviour, leadership psychology, and digital life.

Expect to walk away with:

  • A blueprint of your brain’s decision-making systems — and how to train them
  • The psychological drivers behind future human behaviour
  • A new understanding of resilience, agility, and leadership in a new age
  • Clear, science-backed insights to help you lead, create, and adapt for what’s next.

This isn’t a keynote. It’s a behavioural masterclass in decoding the most complex operating system on Earth: the human mind.

About the speakers

Milo Wilkinson
Milo Wilkinson is an international award winning Behavioural Scientist who specialises in behavioural patterns, crisis leadership and spends her days analysing human behaviour in order to predict outcomes.

As a Behavioural Scientist, criminal profiler, high-performance sporting, and corporate coach, Milo Wilkinson has studied CEOs, top athletes, psychopaths, criminals, and everyone in between. She has seven degrees in the areas of cognitive and clinical neurosciences, criminal sciences, psychology and psychotherapy. Milo has completed a world first co-design project with Harvard University Neuroscience Department secretly discovering the functions of the unconscious brain and has been the Peak Performance Behavioural Scientist for some top Sporting Teams across the globe.

Sarah Abood
Sarah has over 25 years’ experience working in the financial services industry and she is a passionate advocate for financial planning. Sarah has a deep understanding of the financial planning profession, and the demands of running a financial planning practice. This was gained from her nine years as CEO of Profile Financial Services, a privately-owned and self-licensed financial planning firm and FPA Professional Practice. Prior to commencing as FAAA CEO, Sarah held the position of Chief Operating Officer at HOPE Housing Funds Management. She has also worked in senior change and transformation, and marketing roles for some of Australia’s leading financial institutions. Sarah holds a BA from the University of Sydney, an MBA from Macquarie University (MGSM) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.


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